Feed finger mechanism for sheet feeding and gauging apparatus



Oct. 29, 1957 R. E. J. NORDQUIST 2,311,355

FEED FINGER MECHANISM FOR SHEET FEEDING AND GAUGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 10, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet}.

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, INVENTOR. RONALD m. NORDQUIST MM aw FI'G. I

ATTORNEYS Oct. 29, 1957 R. E. J. NORDQUIST 2,811,355

. FEED FINGER MECHANISM FOR SHEET FEEDING AND GAUGING APPARATUS Filed Dec '10 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORE RONALD E.J. NORDQUIST AT TORNEYS Oct. 29, 1957 R. E. JJNORDQUIST 2,811,355

FEED FINGER MECHANISM FOR SHEET FEEDING AND GAUGING APPARATUS Filed D80. 10, 1954 FIG.4

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y if INVENTOR. RONALD E. J. NORDQUIST ATTORNEYS FEED FINGEE MECHANISM FOR SHEET FEED ING AND GAUGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1Q, 1954 5. Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 29, 1957 R E J. NORDQUIST 2,811,355

INVENTOR. RONALD E. J. NORDQUIST BY 4M ya dwJ/? 7x40 ATTORNEYS Oct. 29, 1957 R. E. J. NORDQUIST 2,311,355

FEED FINGER MECHANISM FOR SHEET FEEDING AND GAUGING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 10, 1954 I INVENTOR. RONALD E. J. NORDQUIST mdE ATTORNEYS ite Patent FEED FINGER MECHANISM FOR SHEET FEED- KN G AND GAUGING APPARATUS Ronald E. J. Nordquist,Summit,'N. 1., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 10, 1954, Serial No. 474,496 12 Claims. (Cl. 27160) The present invention relates to an appaartus for feeding and gauging sheet material required to be located in an accurate predetermined position for proper treatment and has particular reference to a novel feed finger for advancing sheets of material into gauging position.

An object of the invention is the provision in an apparatus for feeding and gauging sheets of material, of a feed finger for advancing the sheets into gauging posi-v tion wherein the fingeris free to move in any direction with the sheet as the sheet shifts into a gauged position so as .to prevent any dragging of the finger against the sheet .or in any other manner retarding the free shifting of'the sheet to provide for accurate gauging or locating of the-sheetfor a subsequent treatment.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentias it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of a sheet feeding and ganging. apparatusembodying theinstant invention, with parts broken away and parts shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the machine as taken substantially along the line 22 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the parts being illustrated in a diflerent position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the broken line 4-4 in Fig. -2, with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 in Fig. 5, with parts broken away; and

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary schematic views taken substantially along the line 7-7 in Fig. 1

and illustrating some of the parts in different posiitons.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrateprincipal parts of a sheet lithographing machine or printing press of the character disclosed in United States Patent 2,529,513 issued November 14, 1950 to William Pechy on Gauge Driving Device for Sheet Feeding and Gauging Mechanisms.

In such a machine, sheets A of tin plate or the like material are advanced continuously along a horizontal straight'line path of travel by a pair of spaced and parallel endlesschain conveyors 21 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) having feed dogs 22 secured thereto at spaced intervals along their lengths for engaging the back or rear transverse edges of the sheets. During this travel the sheets are supported on a plurality of longitudinalsupport bars 23 which are disposed adjacent the path of traveltofthe conveyors 21; These support bars '23 are secured to transverse support bars 24, theouter ends of which aresecured toa-pair of connected side frames .25 whichconstitutethe main frame of the machine.

The conveyors 21 operate over a pair of sprockets 27 mounted on a sprocket shaft 28 journaled in bearings 29 formed in one of the side frames 25 and in a bracket 30 disposed between the frames. The sprocket shaft 28 is rotated continuously by an endless chain 31 which operates over a driven sprocket '32 mounted on the sprocket shaft 28 and over a driving sprocket 33 mounted on a main drive shaft 34 journaled in bearings 35 formed in the side frames 25. The drive shaft 34 is driven in any suitable manner.

The conveyors 21 feed the sheets A toward a pair of lithographing cylinders comprising an upper or transfer cylinder 38 (Fig. 2) and a lower or'impression cylinder 39 which are in peripheralengagement and between which the sheet passes for a lithographing operation. These cylinders are rotated in unison as shown in the above mentioned Pechy Patent 2,529,513, at a peripheral speed which is substantially equal to the lineal speed of the conveyors 21. For this purpose the impression cylinder 39 is mounted on the main drive shaft 34. The cylinders make one revolution for each sheet A.

'For this passage of the sheets A between the cylinders 38, 39 a sheet is gripped adjacent its leading edge by a pair of gripper fingers 41 (see also Figs. 1, 7, 8 and 9) which are disposed in a longitudinal recess 42 in the impression cylinder 39. A cooperating clearance recess 43 isprovided in the upper or transfer cylinder 38 to clear the fingers as the cylinders rotate. The fingers 41 are formed with substantially radial front gauging faces 45 which project out from the recess 42 beyond the outer periphery of the impression cylinder 39 and terminate in gripper noses 46 which overlap the outer periphery of the impression cylinder adjacent the recess 42 for clamping the leading edge of the sheet against the cylinder.

The gripper fingers 41 are mounted in spaced relation along the length of the impression cylinder 39, on a rocker orgripper shaft 47, the ends of which are carried in bearings 48formed in the cylinder at the ends of the recess 42 (see Fig. 1). One end of the gripper shaft 47 extends beyond the cylinder 39 and carries a cam arm 51having a cam roller 52 which operates on a stationary edge cam 53. The cam 53 surrounds the main drive shaft 34 and is secured to the adjacent side frame 25. Compression springs 54 (Fig. 2) hold the cam roller 52 in engagement with the cam. These springs 54 surround guide stems 55 having one end pivotally connected to lever arms 56 formed on the gripper fingers 41 and having the opposite end guided in a bore of a defining wall section 57 of the recess 42. The springs are interposed'between the lever arms 56 and the wall section 57.

As the impression cylinder 39 rotates (in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2, 7, 8 and 9) the cam roller 52 traverses the edge of the cam 53. During this rotation of the cylinder and as the gripper fingers 41 rotating with the cylinder move up into position immediately ahead of the leading edge of a sheet A being fed by the conveyors 21, the fingers are rocked into an open position to receive the leading edge of the sheet. This opening of the fingers is effected by the cam roller '52 traversing an elongated or high portion 58 of the cam 53.

While the fingers 41 are held in this open position the sheet A is pushed forward to engage theleading edge of the sheet with the front gauging faces 45 of the gripper leading marginal edge portion of the sheet tightly against the outer periphery of the impression cylinder to hold the gauged sheet in position until the leading edge is carried into the bite of the cooperating cylinders 38, 3-9. Thereafter the gripper fingers are released from the sheet edge to permit the sheet to pass through the cylinders in a horizontal position.

The front gauging of the sheet A is efiected by a pusher or feed finger 6.. "figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) which rotates into and out of the path of travel of a sheet being advanced by the conveyors 21 to temporarily engage behind the sheet and accelerate it away from the conveyor feed dogs 22 and push it into a gauged position with its leading edge engaging and aligning with both of the front gauging faces 45 of the gripper fingers 41. There is only. one of these feed fingers 61 and it is centrally'located between -the conveyors 21 for engagement against the rear edge of the sheet near the middle. T he finger s1 is rotated at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the lineal speed of the conveyors 21, except for the period during which it is accelerated, by a hub 62 (Figs. 4 and 5) which is mounted on and rotates with the conveyor sprocket shaft 28.

For supporting and accelerating the feed finger d1, the hub 62 is formed with a pair of spaced and parallel, radially extending arms 63 (Fig. 4) which between them carry a lever 64 having trunnions 6S journaled in bearings formed in the arms. One of the trunnions 65 projects beyond its arm 63 and is surrounded by a torsion spring 66 (Figs. 4 and 6) for yieldably urging the finger 61 in the direction of rotation or feeding direction. One end of the spring 66 is attached to the adjacent arm 63 while the opposite end is secured to the trunnion. The lever 54 thus constitutes a rocker element for the finger 61.

The outer end of the lever 64 carries a'cam roller 68 which operates in a cam groove 69 of a stationary face cam 71 which surrounds theconveyor sprocket shaft 28 adjacent the hub 62 on the shaft. The cam 71 is secured to the bracket 30 which extends up from a connection between the side frames 25.

The feed finger 61 is freely mounted on the lever 64 in a manner which permits of lateral movement of the finger relative to its direction of rotation, i. e. the feeding direction. For this purpose the finger 61 is mounted on a ball bearing 74 (Figs. 5 and 6) which in turn is mounted on a pin or stud 75 secured in the lever 64 at right angles to the axis of the trunnions 65.

in order to retain the feed finger 61. in a normal per pendicular position relative to the trunnions 65 during a major idle portion of its rotation with the sprocket shaft 28, a pair of spaced and parallel stationary guide rings or rails '78, '79 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) are provided,

one on each side of the finger and extending entirely around its path of rotation. One of the guide rings is formed on the stationary cam 71. The other is secured to the bracket 38.

At one place in the path of rotation of the finger 61, i. e. adjacent the conveyors 21 where the finger engages the rear edge of the advancing sheet, the guide rings 78, 79 are formed with outwardly or laterally extending recesses 8% (Fig. l) which provide a substantially greater space between them to free the finger 61 for lateral movement.

In operation, the feed finger 61 rotates in time with the advancement of the sheets A by the conveyors 21, the finger making one revolution for each sheet. As the rear edge of an advancing sheet A approaches the conveyor sprocket shaft 28, the feed finger 61 rotates upwardly behind the sheet edge and yieldably engages it as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At this point in the cycle of the finger, the lever 64 controlled bythe outer face of the groove 69 of the cam 71 rocks the feed finger forward, giving it an accelerated speed which advances the sheet ahead of the feed dogs 22 on the conveyors 21 and pushes the sheet forward until its leading edge engages against the front gauging faces 45 of the gripper fingers 41 as shown in Fig. 8. When this engagement is made the torsion spring 66 permits the finger to remain in yielding contact with the rear edge of the sheet. The inner face of the groove 69 of the face cam 71 is formed with a relieved section 82 for this purpose.

As soon as the feed finger 61 engages the rear edge of the sheet to propel it forward, it also enters the wide space or recesses 88 between the guide rings 78, 79 so that the finger is laterally free. Hence if any lateral shifting of the sheet takes place during the gauging operation, which is usually the case, especially when the sheet is also side gauged, the finger is free to move with the sheet. This prevents any dragging of the finger fil against or along the rear edge of the sheet and thus prevents any retarding of the sheet in any manner to insure accurate aligning of the leading edge of the sheet with its gauging faces 45.

After such a gauging operation and when the gripper fingers 41 have closed against the leading edge of the sheet to hold it in its gauged position, the feed finger 61 is retracted from the rear edge of the sheet by a reverse rocking of the lever 64 under control of the outer face of the groove 69 of the face cam 71 as shown in Fig. 3, and thus moves downward under the sheet and is guided back into its perpendicular poistion by the guide rings 78, 79 for return to its starting point for a repeat sheet pushing or feeding operation on the next sheet advanced by the conveyors 21.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope 'of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A feed finger mechanism for advancing a sheet in a forward direction during a gauging operation while offering substantially no resistance to a simultaneous lateral movement of the sheet effected by said gauging operation, comprising a member continuously rotatable on an axis in said forward direction, a finger carried on said member for rotation therewith for engaging an edge of a sheet to advance said sheet in said forward direction, said finger having a pivotal mounting for pivotal movement relative to said member in a lateral direction at an angle to said forward direction, and guide means associated with said finger for retaining said moving finger in a normal position for engagement with said sheet edge and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation.

2. A feed finger mechanism for advancing a sheet in a forward direction during a gauging operation while offering substantially no resistance to a simultaneous lateral movement of the sheet effected by said gauging operation, comprising a member continuously rotatable on an axis in said forward direction, a finger carried on said member for rotation therewith for engaging an edge of a sheet to advance said sheet insaid forward direction, said finger having a pivotal mounting for pivotal movement relative to said member in a lateral direction at an angle to said forward direction, and a pair of spaced guide rails extending along the path of travel of said finger and disposed one on each side of said finger for retaining said moving finger in a normal position for engagement with said sheet edge, said guide rails for a predetermined distance along their lengths being spaced a greater distance apart to free said finger for'lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation.

3. A feed finger mechanism for advancing a sheet in -a forward direction during a gauging operation while offering substantially no resistance to a simultaneous lateral movement of the sheet effected by said gauging operation,

comprising a member continuously rotatable on an axis in said forward direction, a finger carried on said member for rotation therewith, said finger being yieldably and pivotally mounted on said member for movement relative to said member in a direction opposite to said forward direction for yieldably engaging an edge of a sheet to advance said sheet in said feeding direction, said finger also being pivotally mounted on said member for lateral movement relative to said forward direction, and guide means associated with said finger for retaining said moving finger in a normal position for engagement with said sheet edge and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation.

4. A feed finger mechanism for advancing a sheet in a forward direction during a gauging operation while offering substantially no resistance to a simultaneous lateral movement of the sheet effected by said gauging operation, comprising a member continuously rotatable on an axis disposed at right angles to said forward direction, a rocker element pivotally mounted on said member for oscillation around an axis parallel to said first named axis, a finger pivotally mounted on said rocker element for movement laterally of said forward direction, said finger being bodily movable with said member for engaging an edge of a sheet to advance said sheet in said forward direction, spring means for yieldably connecting said member and said rocker element to impart yieldability to said finger during engagement with said sheet, and guide means associated with said finger for retaining said moving finger in a normal position for engagement with said sheet edge and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation.

5. A feed finger mechanism for advancing a sheet in a forward direction during a gauging operation while offering substantially no resistance to a simultaneous lateral movement of the sheet efiected by said gauging opera tion, comprising a member continuously rotatable on an axis disposed at right angles to said forward direction, a rocker element pivotally mounted on said member for oscillating movement around an axis parallel to said first axis, a finger pivotally mounted on said rocker element for movement laterally of said forward direction, said finger being bodily movable with said member for engaging an edge of a sheet to advance said sheet in said forward direction, spring means for yieldably connecting said member and said rocker element to impart yieldability to said finger during engagement with said sheet, guide means associated with said finger for retaining said moving finger in a normal position for engagement with said sheet edge and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation, and cam means operatively connected with said rocker ele ment for retarding the feeding movement of said finger in said forward direction to remove said finger from engagement with said sheet edge after said gauging operation.

6. In an apparatus for feeding and gauging sheets wherein provision is made to expedite lateral movement of each sheet during a gauging operation while the sheet is simultaneously advanced in a forward direction, the combination of a support for a sheet, at least one gauge stop disposed adjacent said support for engagement with an edge of a sheet for locating said sheet in a gauged position, a member continuously rotatable ina forward direction and disposed opposite said stop in spaced relation thereto, a finger carried on said member for rotation therewith for engaging the sheet edge opposite the edge adjacent said stop for moving said sheet into engagement with said stop to effect a gauging operation, said finger having a pivotal mounting for pivotal movement relative to said member in a lateral direction at an angle to said forward direction, and guide means associated with said finger for retaining said moving finger in a normal position for engagement with said sheet edge and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation.

7. In an apparatus for feeding and gauging sheets wherein provision is made to expedite lateral movement 6 ofeach sheet'during a gauging. operation while-the sheet issimultaneously advanced in a forward direction, the

' combination of movable receiving means for receiving a relative to said member in a direction lateral. to

gauged sheet, sheet grippers moving with said receiving means for locating and gripping the leading edge of a sheet fed to said receiving means, a member continuously rotatable in a forward direction and disposed opposite said receiving means in spaced relation thereto, a finger carried on said member for rotation therewith for engagement behind said sheet at its trailing edge for moving said sheet into gauged position with its leading edge engaging said gripper-s to effect a gauging operation, said finger having a pivot mounting for pivotal movement the forward direction of feeding of said sheet, and guide means associated with said finger for retaining said moving finger in a normal position for engagement behind said sheet and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation.

8. In an apparatus for feeding and gauging sheets wherein provision is made to expedite lateral movement of each sheet during a gauging operation while the sheet is simultaneously advanced in a forward direction, the combination of movable receiving means for receiving a gauged sheet, sheet grippers moving with said receiving means for locating and gripping a sheet fed to said receiving means, a member continuously rotatable ina forward direction and disposed opposite said receiving means in spaced relation thereto, a finger carried on said member for rotation therewith for engagement behind said sheet at its trailing edge for moving said sheet into gauged position with its leading edge engaging said grippers to effect a gauging operation, said finger having a pivotal mounting for pivotal movement relative to said member in a direction lateral to the forward direction of feeding of said sheet, guide means associated with said finger for retaining said moving finger in a normal position for engagement behind said sheet and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation, and cam means associated with said finger for retracting said finger from the trailing edge of said sheet after completion of said gauging operation.

9. A feed mechanism for advancing a sheet in a forward direction during a gauging operation while offering substantially no resistance to a simultaneous lateral move ment of the sheet during said gauging operation, comprising in combination, conveying means for advancing a sheet in a forward direction, a member continuously rotatable 011 an axis disposed at right angles to said forward direction, said member including a rocker element pivotally mounted for oscillating movement around an axis parallel to said first axis, a finger bodily movable with said rocker element in said forward direction for engaging an edge of a sheet while said sheet is under the control of said conveying means,- a cam segment operatively connected with said rocker element for accelerating said finger to remove said sheet from the control of said conveying means and to bring it under the control of said finger for said gauging operation, means for pivotally mounting said finger on said rocker element for movement laterally of said forward direction, guide means associated with said finger for retaining said finger in normal position for engagement with said sheet edge and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation, a second cam segment operatively connected with said rocker element for decelerating said finger after completion of said gauging operation to remove said finger from engagement with said sheet edge, and spring means operatively connected with said finger to impart yieldability to said finger during said gauging operation.

10. A feed finger mechanism for advancing a sheet in a forward direction during a gauging operation while offering substantially no resistance to a simultaneous lateral movement of the sheet during the gauging operation, comprising an elongated feed finger, means for moving said finger in a forward direction for engaging an edge of said sheet to advance said sheet in' said forward direction during said gauging operation, said finger being mounted for free movement in a direction laterally of said forward direction, and guide means associated with said moving finger for retaining said finger against lateral movement prior to engagement with said sheet edge and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during at least a portion of said gauging operation.

11. A feed finger mechanism for advancing a sheet in a forward direction during a gauging operation while oifering substantially no resistance to simultaneous lateral movement of the sheet effected by said gauging operation, comprising a sheet engaging feed finger mounted for rotary movement around an axis disposed at right angles to the forward direction of movement of said sheet to effect said forward movement of said sheet, said feed finger also being mounted for pivotal movement in a direction laterally of said forward direction for lateral movement with said sheet edge during said gauging operation.

12. A feed finger mechanism for advancing a sheet in a forward direction during a gauging operation while offering substantially no resistance to simultaneous lateral movement of the sheet effected by said gauging operation, comprising a sheet engaging feed finger mounted for rotary movement around an axis disposed at right angles to the forward direction of movement of said sheet to effect said forward movement of said sheet, said feed finger'also being mounted for pivotal movement in a direction lateraily of said forward direction, and guide means associated with said finger for retaining said finger in normal position for engagement with said sheet edge and for freeing said finger for lateral movement with said sheet during said gauging operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,159 Westerbeek June 11, 1912 1,395,207 Robinson et al. Oct. 25, 1921 2,273,823 Ayres Feb. 24, 1942 2,484,845 Nordquist et al. Oct. 18, 1949 2,547,964 Nordquist Apr. 10, 1951 

